Encountering the Heart of St. Joseph: A Working Father

As the daughter of a handyman, I have often been spoiled by my father’s love for building, creating and innovating. If something was broken due to my clumsiness, my dad would glue, sew or nail it back together, and if something needed to be built, within seconds a tape measure, drawing pad, X-acto knife and smattering of other tools would be spread across the table. My father is not one that shies away from work, and it is because of his hard-working nature that I have truly been able to understand “the value, the dignity and the joy of what it means to eat bread that is the fruit of one’s own labour” (Patris Corde).

I think it’s easy to forget that though St. Joseph was directly cooperating with God’s salvific plan by being Jesus’ foster father, he was also cooperating with God through the work of his hands, providing for the Holy Family each day. Similar to my father, I have no doubt that St. Joseph would be a model for hard workers, repairing the things that were broken and building the things that would protect and provide for his family.

 As we strive to be co-workers in the vineyard, let us look to St. Joseph the Worker as the ideal example of what it means to participate in God’s work and do it with joy.

Jones is the coordinator  of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Baton Rouge.